Blu-Ray/TV Movie Review: Burn Notice: The Fall of Sam Axe

 

If you are a fan of the TV series Burn Notice, you will know that the character of Sam Axe, a retired Navy Seal played wonderfully by Bruce Campbell, has a ton of stories about things that he has done in his past. This was a tv movie (directed by the star of Burn Notice, Jeffrey Donovan) that tells one of those stories. It is not really an origin story for Sam, per-se, but we do get the origin of the alias Sam often uses in the show, Chuck Finnley. It is mostly a story that is told with tongue firmly planted in cheek and is not really meant to be realistic or accurate. There are a lot of plot holes and things that would not occur in real life (really much like the parent show itself) but if you are good at suspending disbelief, it is fine.

The A/V quality of the Blu-Ray disc is very good, much better than the couple of seasons of Burn Notice that were released on Blu-Ray, which did not get a good transfer at all. The extras include a very good commentary track on the movie with Bruce Campbell, Jeffrey Donovan, and the creator of Burn Notice, Matt Nix. Then, there is a fun faux-making-of-featurette called The Fall of Jeffrey Donovan. Then there is a portion of the 2010 Comic-Con panel and a couple of deleted scenes. If you are not a fan of Burn Notice then this is not going to do anything for you. If you are, it is a good, fun, and kind of silly Sam-centric story that is worth checking out.

4k-UHD/Movie Review: Thor

 

Thor is, if you are watching the MCU movies in release order, the fourth movie released after Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, and Iron Man 2. If you are watching the movies in chronological order, it is the sixth coming after Captain America, Captain Marvel, Iron Man, Iron Man 2, and The Incredible Hulk. It tells the origin story of Thor (played by Chris Hemsworth) and his brother Loki (played by Tom Hiddleston). The movie actually opens on Earth where an astrophysicist named Jane Foster (played by Natalie Portman) and Dr. Salvig (played by Stellan Skarsgard) are tracking astronomical anomalies (along with their work-study student worker Darcy, played wonderfully by Kat Dennings who steals nearly every scene she is in) hits Thor with their van when Thor is exiled from Asgard. Then the movie flashes back to show what led up to Thor's banishment, and when the movie comes back to Earth, what we get is in part a fish-out-of-water story, in part a love story, and in part a story of a superpowered frat boy becoming a hero.

For those who get the 4K Blu-Ray set, there are two discs, a UHD disc with just the movie itself, and then a regular Blu-Ray disc with the special features. The movie looks very good and sounds great. People who are true videophiles who really pay attention to grain and black levels probably will not find the video quality as good as it is for the later movies, but most people will find it a step up from the Blu-Ray, especially with the Asgard colors and the New Mexico landscape. The extras are all ported over from the initial DVD/Blu-Ray release, and include a great commentary track on the movie with director Kenneth Branagh and then there are several behind-the-scenes and making-of featurettes that range from a couple of minutes to just under twenty minutes. Then, there is a Marvel one-shot that sets up the end scene of The Incredible Hulk and how Tony Stark was selected to go visit General Ross, the theatrical trailers, and a trailer for the new Avengers Animated movie. There is also a short look at the Avengers movie which was in production at the time Thor was released.

Overall, the movie is really good. It has a great blend of comedy, action, and drama, with a little bit of romance between Thor and Jane, mixed in (but that is kept on the backburner for the most part and does not get too over the top). The supporting cast, including Anthony Hopkins, Renee Ruso, Idris Elba, Ray Stevenson, Jamie Alexander, and Colm Feore is great, and the movie expanded the role of Clark Gregg's Phil Coulson even more than it was expanded in Iron Man 2. The post-credits scene (this was in the days when there was not both a mid-credits and post-credits scene) set up both Captain America (which was the next movie in release order) and the storyline of The Avengers. Hemsworth did a great job in the role and got absolutely jacked for it, really looking the part of a god-like hero. It is definitely a movie worth watching and the 4k disc is worth the upgrade.

Workout Update: Power-90/Chalean Extreme Hybrid: Day 31

Day 31 was the Push Circuit 2 workout from CE. This one is mostly shoulder-focused for the upper body moves and then has some lunges and deadlifts for the lower-body moves. I managed to hit the 8 rep max for all of the moves. A couple of them just barely so I will use the same weight next week, and a couple of them easily, so the weight on those will be increased. This workout really solidified the fact that I have gained quite a bit of strength in the past month. 

4k-UHD/Movie Box Set Review: The Godfather Trilogy

 

+++Warning, this contains spoilers from the movies. I assume most people reading this have already seen the movies, so if you have not and care about spoilers, you have been warned.++++

This is the latest and probably the last, restoration that The Godfather series of films is likely to ever get, given the age of the movie and the fact that physical media is being phased out. My guess is that anyone interested in getting the set has seen the movies multiple times, so this will have minor spoilers in it. Of course, this is the trilogy of three movies, two of which are definitely iconic and one that is pretty divisive, that tells of the rise and fall of the fictional Corleone crime family. There are a couple of different sets, one that just has the discs (which is the one I have) and one that comes with a commemorative book. The set I have has four folding cases that have the UHD discs (one for each movie) and one for the older versions of Part III and the bonus disc, which is a regular Blu-Ray disc and contains all of the special features.

The first disc is The Godfather Part I (set between 1945 and 1955), which starred Marlon Brando, James Caan, Robert Duval, Talia Shire, John Cazale, Diane Keaton, and Al Pachino. That movie basically tells the story of an aging Don (played by Brando) and the war between the "five families" (the various heads of the NY mafia) that is set off by Vito Corleone's refusal to expand his family into the drug trade. At the end of the ten-year period depicted in the movie, his son Michael (Pachino) who initially wants nothing to do with the family business has taken over and proven himself to be as or even more ruthless than his father.

The second disc contains The Godfather: Part II (set in 1958-1959) sees the Corleone family headquartered in Lake Tahoe, and set to take over pretty much all the casinos in Nevada (despite Michael's insistence in the first movie that the family would be completely legitimate in five years). The movie jumps back and forth between the story of Vito's rise to power (starring Robert De Niro taking the role of Vito in his early 30s) and a plot to take out Michael, similar to the plot to take out Brando's Vito in the first movie. The intertwining of the father-son storyline is done very well, and the end of the movie again displays Michael's ruthless nature as he wipes out all his enemies.

The third disc contains the recently reconfigured Part III, which is titled The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone, which is set (mostly) in 1979, and details the final days of Michael as a gangster as he tries to finally get the family out of the life. He keeps getting pulled in however by another plot to take him out and his hot-headed nephew's (Vincent; Sonny's illegitimate son with the fugly bridesmaid in the original movie; played by Andy Garcia) desire for revenge. This version of the movie basically changes the beginning, so the plot involving the church and the real estate corporation is introduced first (which is an alternate scene in the original "Coppola restoration" that was released a handful of years ago on Blu-Ray, and then has an alternate version of Michael's letter to the kids (I think in large part so that the shot of the Twin Towers could be removed from the opening sequence) inviting them to the party. Then some of the scenes are extended a bit and the ending is changed so we do not see Michael's literal death, and it has a more metaphorical meaning. The movie still has the same story and has the same issues the original cut had, mostly the fact that a 19-year-old Sofia Coppola (who did not want to be in the movie in the first place) was cast after the actress that was likely to be offered the role was killed and Wynona Ryder backed out, to play a mid-twenties, Mary. And, even more than Sofia's acting (which was not great) was the horrible writing for her character that made a mid-twenties woman sound like a teenage girl pining after her first love.

The fourth disc (also a UHD disc) has both the theatrical version and the 1991 re-release version of Part III (which are nearly identical aside from a couple of scenes including the one in which Al and Connie give Vincent the go-ahead to take Zaza out. All of the versions of Part III really focus on Michael's guilt over the things he has done, especially having Fredo killed, and his attempt to seek redemption. Part III is definitely not as good as parts I or II, regardless of which version you watch. I do not think there was a huge need to see Michael's literal death in 1997 like we do in the theatrical and 1991 versions, but seeing him die alone to end the series is as the culmination of all his mistakes did make a powerful point. But, just knowing he ends up alone makes that point. None of the versions of Part III is as bad as those who shit on it make it seem, but I think anything they did with the story would have been hard-pressed to match the first two movies. 

The fifth disc has all the special features. There are several features that specifically discuss the restoration process for the 4k-UHD discs. It is interesting to see the comparison between the various home video releases over the years and how the UHD quality blows even the last Blu-Ray restoration out of the water. The rest of the extras are the legacy features that were put together for the original DVD and Blu-Ray releases. So, there are hours of bonus material a lot of it very interesting, including the behind-the-scenes feature that was made about the time Part III was filmed in which Francis Coppola discusses the fight with Paramount's executives to get the first movie made. Apparently, the Paramount executives did not want Brando cast at all (presumably because Brando was a pretty notorious pain in the ass by that point) and wanted anyone but Pachino to play Michael. It was very interesting to hear how Coppola fought to make the movie he wanted to make and was followed by a "backup" director when making the first movie who was ready to step in if he was fired. 

Really, the only thing that you do not get with this set is the commentary track on Part III that was included in the original DVD release (I cannot remember if that set also had commentary tracks on Parts I and II, but if so, those are not included either), or the cut of the movie in which Part I and Part II are put in chronological order. Some people think watching it that way is almost blasphemous. As one who has seen both chronological cuts on VHS years ago (there is one with just Parts I and II, and one with Parts I-III, and each has different scenes included in them) I think they are worth watching, but it tells a slightly different story. The chronological cut is more about the rise and fall of the family overall while watching the theatrical versions show the rise and fall of Michael as contrasted with the fall and rise of Vito. 

At any rate, this set has nearly everything about the movies that you could possibly want. The A/V quality of the 4k restoration is wonderful. The colors pop more than ever and the contrasts with the black background in the really dark scenes look as good as it ever has on any home-video release. So, even if you have purchased the VHS, DVD, and/or Blu-Ray sets. this is worth the double, triple, or quadruple dip.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Justified: Season 2

 

+++Warning, this contains a minor season one spoiler, but no significant giveaways from season two+++

Season two of Justified continues to be a combination of a story or case-of-the-week show with the Marshal's tracking down some fugitive or the like, which is a self-contained story, and a serial that has one or more major story arcs that stretch throughout the season. It picks up right where season one ended with Boyd and Raylan teaming up to deal with the team from Miami who took out Bo and are trying to get to Raylan for killing the mobster in the pilot. That arc is wrapped up in the first episode, then the big story arc the rest of the season involves the Bennet clan, from the county neighboring Harlan County and led by the great character actress Margo Martindale (who is recognizable from many movie and TV series, including The Americans). She basically runs a criminal enterprise with her kids Dickie (played by another great character actor Jeremy Davies), Coover (played by Brad William Henke), and the Bennett Police Chief Doyle (played by Joseph Lyle Taylor) that she is trying to turn legitimate. Kaitlyn Dever was also cast as a recurring character named Loretta McCready whose role increases as the series goes on. The Bennets and the Crowders basically feud the entire season, and Raylan ends up in the middle.

For those who get the Blu-Ray, the show looks and sounds great, and again, like season one, has a lot of great cinematography shots that really pop in HD. The extras are spread out across all of the discs and include about ten minutes of deleted scenes, a couple of making-of featurettes that total about 45 minutes between them, a short gag reel, and a discussion between the showrunners and Elmore Leonard, the author whose stories the series was adapted from. So, if you like watching the extras there is a decent amount there for you.

Overall, the series continues to be very good. I do think that this is a show that is helped by having the smaller run of episodes as helps things flow well and leaves the audience wanting more. The writing and acting continue to be top-notch with all of the characters continuing to evolve and the show does a good job balancing a large ensemble cast event though Raylan and Boyd are clearly the main characters so Olyphant and Goggins get most of the screen time. If you were a fan of season one, this is definitely worth watching.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Hannibal: Season 1

 

Hannibal, as one would guess, is an adaptation of the Hannibal Lecter story, set when he is a practicing psychiatrist and well before his capture. In the series, Hannibal is played wonderfully by Mads Mikkelsen and created by Bryan Fuller, who created some other wonderful cult classic series like Pushing Daisies and Wonderfalls, that were loved by a small group of fans and critics, but never received wide acclaim.

The series is set around FBI Special Investigator Will Graham ( played by Hugh Dancy), who in this iteration has the ability to empathize with killers and mentally re-create their crimes with vivid detail Graham is drawn into the investigation of a series of missing college girls by Special Agent Jack Crawford (played by Laurence Fishburne), who has basically exploits Graham's ability to solve cases. Crawford, by recommendation of Dr. Alana Bloom (Caroline Dhavernas), enlists the help of Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen), who helps Crawford and Graham with the case, and from there the series goes on with additional murders, and Lecter both "helping" the FBI investigation and acting as a psychiatrist for Graham.

Of course, anyone who is familiar with the Hannibal Lecter stories knows full well who is responsible for many of the murders, so the suspense aspect of the series is more about when will the other characters figure it out and when will he get caught. There is a lot of misdirection and twists, even in a relatively short season, and the season ends on a big cliffhanger.

For those who get the Blu-Ray set, the A/V quality is wonderful. The series has a lot of stunning visuals, many of them very gory, that look great in HD. The extras include commentary tracks on two episodes, approximately 40 minutes of behind-the-scenes featurettes, a short gag reel, and one deleted scene.

Overall, the series is great. It is well written and acted. Given it is about a serial killer, it is very gory, with many staged murder scenes that look very realistic. And, you know what is for dinner even when the characters in the show do not (and there are a lot of dinners). Mikkelsen takes the character of Lecter and makes it his own, and does not try to recreate or channel what Anthony Hopkins did in the movies. The characters of Crawford and Graham are also much deeper and more complex than they were in the movies. So, while I cannot say this is a show that will appeal to everyone, if you like the Hannibal Lecter series, either in the books or any of the movie adaptations, this is definitely worth watching.

Workout Update: Power-90/Chalean Extreme Hybrid: Day 30

For Day 30, which is a CE rest day, I decided to do the Burn it Off workout (the shorter of the cardio workouts in CE) because I did not want to take two rest days. It went okay. I did have to pause a couple of times during it since I had not done the workout in a couple of months. I will be doing it again on Saturday, and hopefully, it will go a bit better. 

Study Aid Review: Statics for Dummies

 

The way I felt about statics was, it took the worst problems from physics, made them harder, and then filled an entire semester with them. Needless to say, it was not my favorite subject. Thankfully, I had a fairly good teacher, but I was taking online/distance classes before that really became a mainstream thing, so it was hard to ask questions and get them answered well, and while the book explained some concepts well, it was tough to follow for other concepts. This really helped fill in that gap. I would say that it is more useful for explaining the concepts than it is for helping with homework. It does have some examples that will help you a bit on homework problems but it generally does not have examples of the harder types of problems that you are likely to get on an exam. So, I used this and the Schaum's outline for Statics (mainly as a problems repository) to help get me through the class. So, if you are having trouble following the book and are looking for something that makes the concepts understandable, this is definitely a good resource.

Workout Update: Power-90/Chalean Extreme Hybrid: Day 29

Day 29 was the first lifting workout from the CE program, that being the Push 1 workout. The Push workouts abandon the compound moves that are in the Burn and Lean workouts, which I do not like all that much anyway, and still have you lifting very heavy weights. I was able to hit the 8 rep max for some of the exercises, a couple of them just barely so I am going to use the same weight for those next week. I am still not sure what extra cardio workout I am going to try and incorporate into this month (I do not want to do two rest days), but I will figure it out tomorrow.  

Workout Update: Power-90/Chalean Extreme Hybrid: Day 28

Day 28 was the recharge workout. I was again able to get a bit deeper into some of the stretches, including the crouches toward the beginning. My hamstrings are still very tight and I cannot come close to touching my toes without bending my knees much less putting my palms on the ground while bending over unless I am in a sumo/plie position. That said, I am making progress. 

Workout Update: Power-90/Chalean Extreme Hybrid: Day 27

Day 27 was the last sculpt 1-2 workout. I was able to max out on the 10 rep max for a couple of the exercises, but for most I was still under, which actually transitions well into the CE push circuit workouts where you try to max out at 8 reps. I will be starting those on Monday. I am most likely going to incorporate another cardio workout to replace the Tuesday off day, but I am not exactly sure what that will be. I might do P90X's Kenpo-x or plyometrics to transition, or I may use something from one of the other workouts. 

Workout Update: Power-90/Chalean Extreme Hybrid: Day 26

 Day 26 was the last sweat 1-2 and ab-ripper 100 workouts for this hybrid round. I have one more of the strength training workouts, and then next week I will switch to the CE push phase for a month before finishing with the Power-90 3-4 workouts. I did have to pause once during the workout but otherwise got through it pretty much as I have for the other workouts this week. 

Study Aid Review: Schaum's 3,000 Solved Problems in Physics (Schaum's Outlines) 1st Edition

 

This is one of the Schaum's guides that is really just a problems repository. It does not have much in the way of explanatory material designed to teach you the subject. It is meant to be used in conjunction with a textbook so you can get the explanation of the subject from the book and then come to this for problems. One very helpful thing is that it classifies the problems into categories. Some problems are meant to be very basic examples, much like you will see in the chapter text that are pretty easy and only take one or two steps to solve. Then the book will give homework problems that are divided into problems for everyone (basically problems you would see in algebra-based physics) and calculus-based homework problems. It also suggests problems to select for exams (easy, hard, or calculus-based) for each chapter and to use for a final exam.

My one issue with the book is that there are not many of what I refer to as "compound problems". By that, I mean problems that have 6-7 steps that you have to solve, and you generally use the solution to one step to solve for one of the other steps and so on. In many calculus-based physics classes, calculus is used to derive the formulas, but on the exams, you just use algebra to solve compound problems. If I remember correctly, between the 8 exams I had in two semesters of calculus-based physics, we only had two or three problems that required using calculus in the exams. Obviously, this can vary from teacher to teacher, but because the problems that use calculus take so long to solve, on exams many teachers use problems that have multiple parts but you just use algebra to solve the problems. So, if you have a teacher who does that, this is likely to be more helpful to you on homework problems (where you generally will have to use calculus more) but may not be as helpful mimicking your exam problems. So, with those provisos, I definitely think it is one of the more helpful supplements out there and does give a good breakdown of the solutions so you actually learn how to solve the problems.

Study Aid Review: Schaum's Outline of Engineering Mechanics: Statics (Schaum's Outlines) 6th Edition

 

Chances are, most people who have taken upper-level science and engineering classes are familiar with Schaum's outlines, and the different outlines range in quality. This one is definitely on the lower-quality end of the spectrum. As others have noted, there are a lot of errors in the solutions that are worked out, and many problems just give answers without any solutions which, based on the number of errors in the worked-out solutions, you cannot have a high degree of confidence in. The explanatory material is pretty light in this outline and is really not much easier to follow (and in some cases not even as easy to follow) as the explanatory materials in the textbook (at least the textbook I had to use).

It can be used as a supplement, but just be aware that you may have to put in a lot more effort to get what you need out of it than you will have to put into the use of other outlines. If you do have a good teacher and can follow the textbook fairly well, then you can probably just skip this, or find a better supplement.

Product Review: 24 Pieces Lint Traps Stainless Steel Washing Machine Washer Hose Lint Traps

 

These are exactly the same as the washing machine lint traps (the kind that goes over the hose from the washer that drains into a laundry sink) you can find at grocery stores or some of the all-in-one big box stores, but you get 24 as opposed to two, and you are not paying a whole lot more than you would pay for two of them in a regular store. Lint traps are one of those things that you tend to only know you need when you want to do a load of laundry and discover that you have no more left and the one currently on the hose is full and/or splitting. Of course, how long a pack of 24 will last depends on how much laundry you do, but if you live alone and only do laundry every week or two, this pack can easily last over a year. And, you can get it as a subscribe and save item so you don't have to worry about forgetting to buy them.

Study Aid Review: Schaum's Outline of Electric Circuits, Fifth Edition

 

This is a good supplement that will cover much of the material that you will be exposed to in the first year of circuits analysis, which is usually split into two semesters. This does have some explanatory material like what you will see in the chapter text of a textbook, and sometimes it lays things out more clearly than the book does (depending on which textbook your school uses; some are better than others). On the whole, I would say that the Schaum's Outline of Basic Circuit Analysis has better explanatory material than this guide does, but this one tends to have more challenging problems.

My one big issue with this is that it branches out too much into material that is not covered just in circuits and gets into some of the higher-level concepts that you would get in a class on signals, electronics, electric and magnetic fields, and so forth. I think this outline could have focused more on the material that is covered in the vast majority of the first-year curriculums (because some of that is very light), and then done a chapter or two on the more advanced concepts to give a roadmap to the topics that are covered in other classes and how they tie into the material of in the introductory circuits classes. That said, it does have a lot of example problems that will definitely help you with your homework, and it gives good explanations for the material it does cover.

Blu-Ray/Movie Collection Review: Indiana Jones: The Complete Adventures

 

This set contains the other iconic series of movies that Harrison Ford starred in, starting with 1981's Raiders of the Lost Ark, and going through 2008's Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. The concept of the series is that Indiana Jones, played by Ford, is a professor and archaeologist who hunts for artifacts (in Raiders it was the Ark of the Covenant, in Temple of Doom it is sacred stones, in The Last Crusade it was The Holy Grail, and in the last movie it is the titular crystal skull. The time frame in which the movies are set spans from the mid-1930s to the 1950s and pit Jones against a range of enemies from Nazis to Russians.

The A/V quality of the movies is great, with each film getting a very good HD transfer. There are a ton of extras, including a new hour-long on-set documentary for Raiders that includes interviews, bloopers, outtakes, and deleted scenes mixed into the behind-the-scenes material. The rest of the extras are ported over from the DVD releases, including a five-part making-of documentary and then several featurettes that range in length from a few minutes to about twenty minutes. Each movie gets a lot of material, but Raiders gets the most.

Overall, this is a quality set. There are some who complain that Crystal Skull is included, which to me is just silly. If there is going to be a collection of the movies, it is going to include all of the movies. If you don't want Crystal Skull you can buy the movies individually and get just the ones you want. I personally have never understood the hate for Crystal Skull. Yes, it has a plot that involves aliens, but Radiers had people's face-melting, and The Last Crusade had someone turn into a skeleton. So, the movies have not exactly been based on total reality. While I do not think it is as good as some of the other movies in the series, it is not nearly as bad as some make it out to be. My only complaint about the set is the packaging. It does appear that newer sets have updated packaging, but if you end up with the older sets, it has the horrible paper sleeves that you have to pull the discs out, which can cause the discs to get scratched. That is what knocks it down a star for me, but content-wise, the movies range from good to great, and there is hours of bonus content if you like watching that. So, it is a great pickup.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: Black Rock

 

Black Rock is about three friends, played by Kate Bosworth, Lake Bell, and Katie Aselton (who also directs the movie) who go camping on a small island off the coast of Maine that they used to visit as kids. While there, they encounter three hunters who turn out to be dishonorably discharged war veterans who, after a series of pretty stupid events, end up trying to kill the women, who must defend themselves. The movie was written by Aselton's co-star in The League, and husband Mark Duplass.

The movie is a fine thriller that borders on horror. Of course, like most movies in that genre, it is totally unrealistic...both to think that three untrained, unarmed women would be any match for three veterans with guns, or that three guys who had recently been dishonorably discharged would all be out walking around. So, there is definitely some suspension of disbelief going on there. The acting is okay, but honestly, all of the main actors have done better work. Bell, Bosworth, and Aselton are definitely the stars of the movie by far, and the guys were all played by unknown actors. I do think that the movie would have been helped by having at least one of the guys played by someone recognizable. It is short, just under an hour and a half, so it gets in and out of the story quickly.

The A/V quality of the blu-ray is fine, the cinematography is really nice, and the film has a bunch of beautiful outdoor shots. The extras include a commentary track on the movie with Aselton and Bell, a short behind-the-scenes featurette, a slightly longer featurette on the music of the film, and a trailer. Not a ton of extras, but what was included is fine.

Overall, the movie is just okay (at best). It is totally unrealistic, but also not something you will really have to think deeply about. It does have a lot of violence that can get a bit gory. There is not much in the way of sexual content, but there is a nude scene featuring Bell and Aselton. It is not one that I would classify as a must-see by any means, but if you are looking for a thriller that can almost be on in the background this is an okay option.

Workout Update: Power-90/Chalean Extreme Hybrid: Day 25

Day 25 was the sculpt 1-2 workout again. I had to use all the same weights for each exercise that I did on Tuesday, and I was not able to hit 10 reps on any of the exercises so I will be using the same weight on Saturday. But, I was able to get in a couple more push-ups on the standard push-ups and the wide push-ups, as well as getting deeper into them. So, that was progress. 

Video Game Review: Bioshock

 

This is a decent first-person shooter/strategy kind of game with an interesting story. I do not think it is as great as some have made it out to be. It is challenging without being overly difficult or nearly impossible like some games can be. I much prefer the Halo series and the Batman Arkham series of games to this, but if you are into games like Halo that are first-person shooter games with more of a sci-fi/fantasy feel to them (as opposed to a real-world feel), this is a decent option.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Game of Thrones: Season 3

 

The third season of Game of Thrones is adapted from the first half of the third novel in George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire set of books (which is still not complete as of 2022), A Storm of Swords. The bulk of the season sees the various "kings" such as Robb Stark and Stannis Baratheon (basically anyone with any kind of claim to the iron throne) trying to consolidate power for the eventual confrontation with the Lannisters. Another main storyline is the aftermath of the White Walker's attack and the remaining Knight's Watch members returning to warn the 7-kingdoms that something bad is coming. This season also contains "that" event, which has ramifications long down the road and influences many other storylines after it. I will not spoil it for the few who may be reading this that don't know what it is and the ripple effect it sets off, but it is one of the most impactful moments of the series.

The A/V quality of the Blu-Ray is once again phenomenal and there are a ton of extras. Every episode has at least one commentary track, and a couple of episodes get two commentary tracks. Sophie Turner is again a highlight on her commentary track on Episode six (along with Maisie Williams and Issac Hempstead). Each episode can be played with an in-episode guide which fleshes out the story a lot, and then there are deleted scenes, and several making-of and behind-the-scenes featurettes. So, if you like bonus content, you have hours worth to watch and listen to, although to go through all of it, it would require watching every episode multiple times.

Overall, the season is great and the series continues to be great. It is well-written and very well acted. The standouts this season include Alfie Allen as Theon Greyjoy who has a pretty brutal story arc this season and Charles Dance as Tywin Lannister whose role is expanded as the one really pulling the strings and is basically the king of the seven kingdoms. This season also sees the introduction of several new characters including Nathalie Emmanuel as Missandei and Diana Rigg as Olenna Tyrel. The series is still very violent and has a lot of nudity and sexual content. So, it is definitely not a family-friendly show. That said, if you are into sci-fi/fantasy action dramas, particularly those set in ancient medieval times, then this is something you want to check out. That said, you absolutely must watch the first two seasons first to really have any idea what is going on in the third season because all of the story arcs intertwine and have an effect on each other.

Blu-Ray/Movie Review: G.I. Joe: Retaliation

 

This movie is kind of a sequel to the first GI Joe movie, Rise of Cobra, continuing part of that storyline and then branching way off of it, so it then mostly becomes a reboot. Some of the cast members from the first movie do make an appearance, but most of them amount to extended cameos. Some roles were recast, and some of the characters, such as The Baroness and Destro were not used in this movie. This one stars The Rock as Roadblock and Adrienne Palicki as Lady Jaye, the two main Joe characters (along with Snake Eyes, played by Ray Park). The bulk of the story involves the plot by Cobra to use Zartan to impersonate the President of the United States and bring down GI Joe. There is a large parallel story that involves Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow and goes into their rivalry.

The A/V quality of the Blu-Ray is very good. The picture looks great, and the special effects are seamless. The extras include a commentary track on the movie by the director and producer, then there are just over an hour's worth of making-of and behind-the-scenes featurettes, as well as a few deleted scenes. So if you like watching the bonus material there is a decent amount.

Overall, the movie is a good action movie, but not great. Not even as good as the first movie (in my opinion). I would have liked more of the characters to come back and not just have small roles. I am fine using the additional characters but I would have liked more of a conclusion to Duke and Baroness' storyline and bring back characters like Scarlett and Ripcord. I also think that expanding the role of Cobra Commander with Joseph Gordon Levitt and bringing back Christopher Eccleston as Destro would have been a wise move. Obviously, like the first movie, this is not an academy award-winning drama. It is a summer blockbuster action movie, and it most definitely stays in that lane. But, if you are looking for an action movie with tons of explosions and great fight scenes, this is definitely a good one.

Workout Update: Power-90/Chalean Extreme Hybrid: Day 24

Day 24 was the sweat 1-2 workout again. I was able to get through it a little better than I did on Saturday. I did not have to stop or pause this time, but I did have to go a little slower in parts, so there was some tradeoff. I was also able to get through all 100 reps of ab-ripper without a problem. 

Streaming Series Review: Obi-Wan Kenobi, Episode 6 (spoilers)

                              

Episode 6 of Obi-Wan Kenobi wraps up the current storyline, obviously, Leia gets back home and there is the "big" confrontation between Kenobi and Vader that reveals a lot of why Ben told Luke what he did about his father in Episode IV, and why he calls Vader "Darth" as opposed to Anakin when they meet on the Death Star. We also see the origin of Leia's holster and get an idea of why she worded the message to Obi-Wan the way she did in A New Hope. Owen and Beru are also featured a lot more in this episode as Reva, who does not die from the lightsaber wound this time either (although she is weakened) comes for Luke to get her revenge on Anakin. It is great to see them doing more than just kind of standing around in the background. Obviously, Luke lives, but how that plays out was well done. And, we finally see Ben being able to commune with Qui-Gon.

The episode was definitely not an hour and a half long as was speculated. It was more like 40 minutes, give or take, excluding the recap and the credits.  The fight between Obi-Wan and Vader was what it should have been. Not as good as their battle on Mustafar in Episode III, but much better than their first confrontation when Obi-Wan was weak and scared shitless. It is interesting how the battle ends, which has a lot of parallels to Ashoka's confrontation with Vader in the Rebels animated series, as they are both well aware that the other survives. It is more about Obi-Wan turning his back on the idea of Anakin being alive, and definitely explains his Return of the Jedi line, "he is more machine now than man, twisted and evil". 

The only thing that does not get fleshed out much at all is the line "Obi-Wan once thought as you do" which Vader says to Luke when Luke declares he knows that Vader still has good in him. This episode never gives the impression that Obi-Wan has any thought that Anakin can be redeemed or turned back from the dark side. It is more like his suspicion that Anakin is irredeemable is confirmed. It is also interesting that the writers decided to end the battle between the two of them without having Obi-Wan finish off a weakened Vader. Especially since he was resolved earlier in the episode that one of them was going to die in the confrontation. Obviously, for canon, both of them had to survive, but it would have made a lot more sense to have Obi-Wan fake his death at the end of the battle so Vader had no incentive to keep looking for him. I would have preferred that ending even if it meant no second season because it would have perfectly set up A New Hope. 

The show definitely leaves open the idea that a second season will be forthcoming. How they will do it, and whether Vader will be included as much as he was in this season, if a second season materializes, will have to be seen. I do not think that there should be any further direct interactions between Vader and Kenobi, and the show sets up a reason why that would not happen via an appearance by The Emporer, with the Emperor basically telling Vader to forget Kenobi. There is obviously another nine-to-ten-year gap between the Kenobi series and A New Hope that leaves a lot of time open for additional stories. I just worry that wherever they would do with additional stories would not be anywhere near as good as what we got this season and/or would be a recycled version of this season. One aspect a second season could explore is what causes the increased animosity by Owen toward Ben. The end of this episode actually seems to leave them on better terms than they were in the first episode of the series. So, Owen's line in A New Hope regarding Ben being a "crazy old man" suggests something happens within the next ten years that pisses Owen off again. 

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Heroes: Season 4

 

Heroes started out great, with an almost perfect first season that seemed like it was planned from beginning to end. It did have a few missteps along the way, but they were covered up by all it did right. Unfortunately, the show was never able to recapture that success and each season just went downhill, partly because I think the showrunners were always trying to hedge for a new season instead of just telling a solid story and letting everything else play out.

Try as it might to blend the separate storylines successfully as it did in season one, the show never managed to do that this season never really did that. There was a"big bad", played very well by the brilliant Robert Knepper, and the show tried to set up the sense of a big team up to take him down, but it just did not work as well as in the first season. And, the show still could not get the is Sylar a good guy or a bad guy thing straight. I think it would have been much better if the writers had picked one and stuck with it. Also, doing a hard reset at the beginning of every season and just kind of brushing off what happened in the prior season does not work any better this season than it did in seasons 2-3. And, the writers seem to have a harder time juggling the ensemble cast as characters have little or nothing to do for large chunks of time. That said, there are some good elements to the stories this season, the big one being Noah (Jack Coleman) facing consequences for his past actions

The Blu-Ray set has a good amount of extras, but not as much as there had been in the prior season releases. They include about 45 minutes of deleted scenes, a short series retrospective with the series creator, Tim Kring, a twenty-minute featurette on the character of Sylar, a feature on how some of the more effects-heavy scenes were made, and then a few behind-the-scenes featurettes. There are also video commentaries on select episodes and every episode allows for u-control integration of the Heroes Connections feature that will pop up character bios and explain how various characters are connected.

Overall, the season is okay, but seasons 2 and 3, did not replicate the greatness of season one. It does set up the possibility of another season in the finale, however, the show was canceled after the fourth season, and so the ramifications of the finale would not play out until the limited event series, Heroes Reborn, was made six years later with only part of the cast returning.

Product Review: 50-pack Slim Jewel Cases- Black Holds One CD/DVD

 

If you are old enough to have ripped CDs back in the day, these are a very good deal. I had a ton of CDs, mostly from a pack of recordable CDs that were stacked in a spire, that were running loose, and a bunch of workout DVDs that were in those slipcases that can easily cause the DVDs to get scratched. This was the most cost-efficient way to store them securely. I see some reviewers mention broken cases, I did not experience that. All the cases were bound together with plastic and there was an air pack in the box, so they were not able to move around to get broken in transit.

Workout Update: Power-90/Chalean Extreme Hybrid: Day 23

Day 23 was the sculpt 1-2 workout. Since I had maxed out at the 10 rep max for a lot of the moves in the prior workout, I was between 8-10 reps for pretty much every move in this one. I can tell my form is getting better on moves like heavy pants and lawnmowers, even when using heavy weight (40 lbs dumbbells) which is the most weight I have ever been able to use for those moves, even when I was in better shape. So, I am progressing.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Arrow: Season 1

 

Arrow premiered just a couple of years after Smallville had wrapped. It introduced a new version of Oliver Queen, played by Stephen Amell, that made the version in Smallville played by Justin Hartley look like a boy scout. In the pilot, Oliver, who has been on a seemingly deserted island for five years, and was long presumed dead after a boating accident is rescued and brought back to Star City. He discovered, from his father, who owned Queen Industries (which was basically the company that owned everything in Star City), a list of high-profile people who were destroying the city. Oliver takes on the persona of "the hood" and starts killing the people on the list by shooting them with arrows. The rest of the season one cast included David Ramsey, Susanna Thompson, Katie Cassidy, Colin Donnell, John Barrowman, Emily Betts Rickards, Colton Haynes, Willa Holland, and Paul Blackthorne.

The show is definitely more of a serial (with long arcs that run throughout the season) than it is a procedural. The storylines mainly involve Oliver trying to acclimate to life back home while taking on the vigilante persona, keeping that a secret, and avoiding law enforcement. He also has to go up against the season's "big bad" known as the dark archer. The show also flashes back to his time on the Island in which we see how he learned the skills he uses as The Hood and transforms from the spoiled brat that he was into the hero he would become.

For those who get the Blu-Ray set, if you get the original release you will get both Blu-Rays and DVDs. For some reason, they decided to include both formats even though people buying the Blu-Ray set probably only cared about watching the Blu-Rays. The A/V quality of the Blu-Rays is very good. The extras include deleted scenes for some of the episodes, and then on the fourth disc, there is a making-of documentary that runs about a half an hour, a featurette on the stunts that runs just under twenty minutes, a Q&A panel from Paleyfest with some of the cast and the showrunners that is just under a half-hour, and a short gag reel.

Overall, the season is very good. I was one who really liked Hartley's performance as the character on Smallville, and was very skeptical about whether this series would work, and I was very pleasantly surprised. The acting was very good. Even though the show definitely relied on a very good-looking cast, the show had a mix of acting veterans and newcomers the acting quality was good even if it took some of the newer actors time to grow into their roles. You can tell that Amell was devoted to the character and got himself into great shape, and did as many of his own stunts as possible, which was something for a very physical action series. There is a lot of violence and some sexual content (but nothing over the top there), so that is something to be aware of. But, if you are a fan of the superhero genre, especially the stories involving characters who are not invincible, this is a good one to check out.

Product Review: YEVIOR Clothes Folding Board

 

This thing is definitely a solution to a first-world problem, not being able to fold laundry well by hand. This can help you fold clothes in a "display quality" way, which ultimately helps you save space in your drawers or on closet shelves, and make them look a lot better. It does take a bit of practice to get used to, but once you figure it out it is easy to use. And, if you are OCD about organization and keeping things straight and looking nice, you will love using it.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Heroes: Season 3

 

+++Warning, this contains spoilers from season 2, but no major season three giveaways+++

The third season of Heroes returns the show to a full season after the writer's strike ended the mess that was season 2 early. The season is split into two volumes, one titled Villians and the other titled Fugitives. The first half of the season involves the fallout from the assassination attempt on Nathan. We find out who tried to kill him, and why, and much of the first half of the season revolves around that plot. The other major plot point of the first half of the season is a bunch of villains escaping from the company, and joining up to try and give everyone powers. The second half of the season involves a government effort, spearheaded by Nathan to round up people with powers.

For those who get the Blu-Ray set, there are a ton of extras. All 25 episodes get picture-in-picture commentary tracks that have members of the production team and/or members of the cast providing the commentary. There are just under 40-minutes of deleted scenes, and six behind-the-scenes featurettes that cover multiple elements of the season, and range from 6-minutes to 20-minutes in length. Finally, there are a series of alternate stories that involve some of the more minor characters from the season. They are basically three webisodes that run a combined 46 minutes in length. Then there are character bios and a couple of small promo items. So, if you like bonus material, there is a lot there for you.

As my headline says, the season is better than the second but not as good as the first. Some of the new cast additions like Brea Grant and Željko Ivanek were great. Some of the plot points like Sylar trying to figure out if he wanted to be a good guy or a bad guy did get a bit tedious. Also, there are definitely recycled plot points that just get eye roll-inducing because of being a bit too predictable. Personally, I think the show would have been better served to stick with one "big bad" that must be brought down rather than trying to reboot the series with each volume. So, overall, while it is not perfect, I do think the season is worth watching and the blu-ray is a great pick-up for those who love a lot of bonus content.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Heroes: Season 2

 

+++Warning, this contains spoilers from season one, but no major season two giveawyas+++

The second season of Heroes ended up being a bit of a mess, in large part because of the writer's strike that occurred that season, causing many of the planned storylines to be thrown out and never followed up on (in large part because of negative fan response). As a result, the season ended up being just 11 episodes, and kind of bounced all over the place in terms of the story. The season picks up four months after the battle with Sylar, stopping him from killing the cheerleader and saving the world. The story bounces between feudal Japan, the present, and the future, but unlike the first season storylines, it never felt, really until the very end, that any common theme or purpose was tying them together. And, by the time that started to be fleshed out, the season ended because of the strike. Hence, the series started to lose viewers, which continued until its cancellation after season four.

Even though the storylines were not as good as in the first season, which was, in my opinion, one of the best seasons of a tv series ever, the acting continued to be strong. The main cast, including Milo Ventimiglia, Jack Coleman, Masi Oka, Greg Grunberg, Adrian Pasdar, Hayden Panettiere, Ali Larter, and Sendhil Ramamurthy all returned. As does Zachary Quinto, and some of the season one recurring characters. The main additions to the cast this season are David Anders (from Alias), Kristen Bell, and Dania Ramirez. Christine Rose also came on as Nathan and Peter's mother Angela and pretty much stole every scene she was in. Her involvement was not huge in season two, but it would be increased in the subsequent seasons.

For extras, there are commentary tracks on each episode, a bunch of u-control features that allow for PiP viewing, and getting summaries of character arcs. There are deleted scenes and behind-the-scenes featurettes on each of the four discs. So, there is a lot of material if you want to watch it. The commentaries generally rotate members of the cast and crew and some include the series creator Tim Kring. They range in quality and tone but are generally good if you like listening to them.

Overall, the season is not as bad as it gets hammered for being, but not as good as the first season. Some of the problems with the season stories were within the writer's control and some most definitely were not. That said, I do believe that it is worth watching if you temper your expectations.

Workout Update: Power-90/Chalean Extreme Hybrid: Day 22

Day 22 was the sweat 1-2 workout again. It was not as good as the past couple of times I have done the workout since I did have to pause once for a few seconds during the workout. But, I was otherwise able to get through it and ab-ripper 100, getting all the reps of the latter in without a problem.

Workout Update: Power-90/Chalean Extreme Hybrid: Day 21

Day 21 was the recharge workout from CE. Again I could feel the progress I have made by being able to get deeper into crouches and deeper into some of the stretches, including being able to get lower into runner's lunge. I still cannot get as low into it as I could back in the 2009-2010 time frame when I was in much better shape, but I am getting closer to that. 

Workout Update: Power-90/Chalean Extreme Hybrid: Day 20

Day 20 was the sculpt 1-2 workout again. I was definitely not feeling as strong in today's workout as I was when I did it on Thursday. My rep counts dropped for some of the exercises, even using the same weight as last time, and I do not feel that my push-ups were quite as good. There were a couple of exercises in which the weight increased from the last workout, and those were definitely very challenging. So, not my best workout, but I got it done.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: The Following Season 1

 

The Following mixes a serial killer story with a cult story. It stars James Purefoy as Joe Carroll, who was an unassuming college professor and serial killer, and Kevin Bacon as Ryan Hardy, the FBI agent who figured it out and arrested Carroll. Carroll manages to escape prison with the help of a bunch of cult followers he has groomed while in prison. The season basically involves Hardy's attempts to recapture Carroll, and Carroll's attempt to ruin Hardy's life, while forcing his ex-wife Claire, played by Justified's Natalie Zea and his son Joey to join him and the cult.

The show is basically a serial with a story arc that spans the entire season. There are a lot of twists and turns mostly involving who is or is not a cult member helping Carroll, and Hardy trying to figure out Carroll's next move. The show has a strong supporting cast including many recognizable actors such as Shawn Ashmore, Maggie Grace, Mike Colter, Valorie Curry, and Adan Canto.

The Blu-Ray set has a lot of extras including a maximum movie mode for the pilot episode (which plays picture-in-picture commentary throughout the episode), a regular commentary track on the season finale, almost an hour's worth of deleted scenes, and several making-of featurettes that range in length from a minute to just under 30-minutes. So, if you like watching the extras, there is a lot there.

Overall, the show is very good. It is well written and acted. As I said, it does have a lot of twists and misdirection. Some of those work better than others, and the show does, sometimes, fall into the trap of trying to be a bit too clever. But, generally, the show does a good job of keeping the audience guessing about what will come next. It ends on a couple of major cliffhangers and leaves a lot up in the air going into the second season. It is a mix of thriller, horror, and drama. It is violent and can be gory at times, and there is some sexual content, but not a ton. So, you have to weigh all that against what you will enjoy, but if you are a fan of that genre, it is definitely worth watching.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Fringe Season 5

 

+++Warning, this contains spoilers from the fourth season, but no major giveaways from season five.+++

The fifth season of Fringe is really a partial season, just 13 episodes which were meant to tie up the series and give it a proper sendoff, which is not something that shows that end up on Fox's chopping block get. The fifth season is set in the Dystopian future that was shown in Episode 19 of season four, in which the Observers basically become authoritarian overlords with their boots on the throat of the people.

In this season, the main cast is whittled down to Anna Torv, Joshua Jackson, Jasika Nicole, and John Noble. The main recurring characters are Georgina Haig and Michael Cerveris, and Lance Reddick, Blair Brown, and Seth Gable all make special appearances to wrap up their character arcs. The storyline this season involves a plan to defeat the Observers that September and Walter came up with, but in the process fragmented Walter's memory so he cannot remember the entire plan. So, the team has to figure out the entire plan and implement it to save humanity from the Observers. The main issue I have with the final season is that it basically totally abandons William Bell's storyline from season four, and does not really resolve the fact that he was one of the main bad guys in the prior season.

For those who get the Blu-Rays, the show looks and sounds great. There are only a handful of extras, the main one being a making-of documentary for the final season. There is a commentary track on the ninth episode of the season, a few deleted scenes, a portion of the comic-con panel, and a short gag reel.

Overall, the season is good, but not as good as in prior seasons. By this point, the show pretty much abandoned the case-of-the-week format and just had the serial arc that spanned the entire season. So, the show ends up being a much different series that the one it started out as. The acting and writing were still very good, but if you were a huge fan of what the show started out as, you may not like this season as much. The writers did a good job tying the series up and providing a satisfying ending for fans.